Most hackers are looking for that one shot per round that they’ll talk about — and recall — repeatedly. But even good players go through the same thing.

On Monday, Patricia Lee had one of those moments. On her final swing of the day, Lee jarred one from the fairway for an eagle-2 as the junior carded a 3-under-par 69 and led the Falcons to the team championship of a Class 5A regional at Colorado Springs Country Club.

Read more…

Dani Urman, the spirited sophomore golfer at Cherry Creek, has been invited to play in the HealthOne Colorado Women’s Open.

Thrilled by the opportunity, Urman nevertheless had to politely decline.

Physically, she’s not ready — yet.

Read more…

Karl Gehring, The Denver Post

Longmont senior Jamie Katuna brings the ball through the Broomfield defenders in the second half of the Class 4A championship game.

Longmont High senior guard Jamie Katuna will be named to the Parade Magazine All-America team this week, when the annual list is published in its May 15 issue.

The list includes 40 prep players on its girls basketball team, the 35th edition of the award.

Katuna, a 5-foot-7 guard who will play at San Francisco next season, was named The Denver Post’s 4A Ms. Colorado Basketball in April after the playmaker averaged 23.7 points in leading the Trojans to a 26-2 record and an overtime loss to Broomfield in the Class 4A championship game.

She also was named Gatorade Colorado player of the year.

When you only have nine guys on your baseball team, injuries are an absolute no-no.

On Wednesday, Merino’s Jaden Jole — one of nine Rams on the roster — dislocated his shoulder in the Rams Class 1A District 4 quarterfinal victory over Otis at Northeastern Junior College in Sterling.

Sure the Rams cruised to an easy 11-1 victory, but they didn’t want to do it with eight guys. So instead of sitting out, Jole had the shoulder popped back in, and continued to play.

Read more…

Karl Gehring, The Denver Post

Brannon Hays is leaving Mullen.

Brannon Hays has left his job as Mullen basketball coach to pursue opportunities in California, according to Mullen President Ryan Clement on Twitter.

The departure of Hays, the former Metro State coach who took the Mustangs’ job last June, means Mullen is now searching for its third coach in three seasons. Porter Cutrell was fired after the 2010 season.

The Mustangs went 6-18 last season, and were 11-12 in 2010 under Cutrell. They haven’t made the postseason since 2009.

Mullen went to the Sweet 16 in 2008 after back-to-back Final Four appearances that included a state title in 2006. The Mustangs also made the 2004 Final Four.

If you haven’t had the chance to read Brent Briggeman’s piece on the revelation that Palmer athlete Sam Hesselberg died from complications resulting from a concussion in The Gazette this morning, I highly recommend that you take a moment to do so.

Hesselberg, a three-sport athlete who played hockey, baseball and golf, died suddenly last December. Originally, an aneurysm was thought to be the cause because there was no evidence of an impact injury,¹ and the bleeding had occurred inside the brain.

Read more…

A considerable strike less than a week before the girls lacrosse state playoff bracket is released …

Kent Denver went into the Stutler Bowl in Greenwood Village on Tuesday and took down defending Colorado champion Cherry Creek 19-18.

Read more…

Karl Gehring, The Denver Post

Cherry Creek, the defending state champion, is the No. 2 seed in the state playoff bracket.

If Cherry Creek is to repeat as boys lacrosse champion, it’ll likely have to go through Regis Jesuit. Again.

That’s because the Raiders (14-1) nabbed the top overall seed when CHSAA unveiled the boys lacrosse state playoff bracket this afternoon. They’ll play the lowest-remaining seed that advances out of the first round next week.

Cherry Creek (13-2) is No. 2, and will play on the opposite side of the bracket.

The two teams met just eight days ago in a 7-6 Regis victory. That was a rematch of last year’s state championship game.

Read more…

They’ll be combining campuses next school year, and the boys basketball staffs seem to be following suit for Lutheran-Parker and Denver Lutheran.

Lutheran-Parker coach John Adam announced on Twitter this morning that former Denver Lutheran coach Ryan Bredow will join his staff as an assistant. The two schools will combine at the Parker campus next fall.

The irony, as Adam pointed out in his original tweet, is that Bredow led Denver Lutheran to the 2A state championship last season … where they beat Lutheran-Parker. Suffice it to say, Lutheran High School boys basketball will have some top-notch coaching next season.

“Looking forward to working with Ryan,” Adam later tweeted. “He did a great job at Denver Lutheran and will be a valuable asset to our program.”

Don’t think anyone could possibly question this decision: Bredow was our All-Colorado coach of the year this season.

There has been a Connor McKay spotting. The senior at Regis Jesuit in Aurora, who could have missed his senior baseball season, made an appearance on Friday.

Hey, who says knee injuries are all that bad?

Read more…